


The Suitor

by Stickthinbarbie



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-19 02:42:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4729787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stickthinbarbie/pseuds/Stickthinbarbie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Throwing our lovebirds into the wacky & wild world of Reality TV production. Sansa is a contestant on a reality dating show (i.e. like The Bachelor) and Sandor is head cameraman. </p><p>Will he allow the production staff to manipulate the little bird to fall for the Suitor, Joffrey? Will Sansa break the rules to find out more about the mysterious crew member with scars & a scowl?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day Back in the Office

**Author's Note:**

> Hello fellow SanSan shippers. This is my first fic ever - so please go easy on me. Welcome any/all constructive criticism. 
> 
> Characters aged up:  
> Sansa - 23  
> Sandor - 34  
> All others aged up accordingly. 
> 
> I own nothing. All ownership to GRRM & the creators of the Bachelor.  
> I have never worked in TV production, this is me allowing my love of the ship to crossover with my horrible guilty pleasure, the Bachelor franchise. 
> 
> Rated M for later chapters.
> 
>  
> 
> [Picset](http://beautyinthebird.tumblr.com/post/128374951006/so-i-wrote-a-thing-and-made-a-picset-for-it-hope)

The control room was complete chaos, which did nothing to stifle the growing headache he already had. _And filming hasn't even started yet, wonderful._

It was a dark room, lit up by the wall of screens at the back of the room. The screens each showed a different camera and came together to give the overall picture of everything going on in the mansion. To the right were lockers and storage areas for equipment and a whiteboard that would serve as the brainstorming center for the producers cooking up plots and schemes based on how the contestants act on screen.

"Where the hell is limo 1, people? Those girls better be ready to kiss this suitor's ass in 5 min!" He heard the Executive Producer, Petyr, yelling to one of his field producers.

He quickly walked over to the equipment lockers and grabbed his headset and camera equipment, attempting to avoid the gaze of any of the producers or crew in the process. The last thing he needed right now was for some frantic PA to ask him a bunch of asinine questions they should already know the answers to. As he reached for his mic pack and boom pole, he couldn't help but raise his gaze to get a better view of one of the pictures hanging on the cast wall. It was the red hair that grabbed his attention, though he didn't let himself look long. She was beautiful. _Wonder how much Photoshop was used for that one, though_ he huffed before turning his attention back to his equipment and ducking out to head towards the driveway to prepare for limo exits.

"Camera 1, where the hell are you? I'm not seeing you on my screen!" screeched into his headset. "Bugger off, I'm setting up in position now" he growled back. Petyr responded coolly with an "easy now, Hound".

He got that nickname because he was the best damn cameraman in the business. He could sniff out exactly the right angle and positioning to get the scene and emotion needed for each take. They never had to do re-takes with him.

While preparing the shot, he could hear the new lead, or "Suitor" as the show called him, talking casually to the host.

"All I know is I better be given alone time to hook up with as many of these chicks as I want. And there better not be any gargoyles, or I'm telling my grandfather that you people don't know how to do your jobs!"

Oh great, another season another royal prick. This time Grandpa is with the network. Lovely.

"Don't worry, man. You'll get your chance to hook up with plenty of them, they always do. The record is 6 in one season!" He heard Trant boasting. _and don't worry, Trant will pick up the leftovers like he always does._ Sandor hated Trant. He always tried to come off as some charming and sophisticated man on camera, but Sandor knew how pathetic he was. He was really only keeping this host gig to scam on all the hot young girls they bring in each season, taking any and all leftovers given.

Sandor's headache was not getting any better.

"Alright everyone, Limo 1 is pulling up the driveway now. Places! Let's do this." Petyr yelled over everyone's headsets. Sandor got his camera in place right as the limo pulled to a stop.

He knew how this went. The hottest girls, the ones that will go far are always in the first limo, so he knew he had to be on his A game right away. The door opened and he watched as a pair of long, porcelain legs extended out of the door of the limo.

Then there was a beautiful fire in his sight. Her hair looked like flames as it blew in the fan-created wind. When she stepped out from the limo he could tell there wasn't any Photoshop used in that picture on the cast wall. He was frozen in place. Mesmerized by the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.

As she walked closer, he could see the pools of blue that sparkled in her eyes. He wished he could drown in them, right then and there. Let God take him, for he would never see a more beautiful sight than this.

He was broken out of his reverie by a yelling in his headset "Camera 1, what are you doing? Follow her over to the Suitor!"

It was then that he realized that she never even looked his way. The excitement and awe in her features wasn't for him. They were for that handsome prick Suitor, Joffrey. And the smug look on Joffrey's face meant they would all get to keep their jobs for another day, as he was pleased with the sight of his first contestant.

He tried to focus back on his work but then hearing her voice sent him right back into his daze. "Hello, my name is Sansa. It's such a pleasure to meet you. I can't wait to get a chance to talk with you more inside!" Sansa. Sansa.

Sweet Sansa with her sweet little pleasantries.

"Yes. It's a pleasure, indeed. Joffrey. I will definitely be seeing more of you inside." He gave her a sly grin and Sandor couldn't help the huff that came out of his mouth at the sight of this beautiful, naive girl smiling like a fool at that pretty little rich boy with only one thing on his mind.

As she walked inside the mansion, he attempted to gather himself. He was thrown for such a loop at the sight of her, he hoped the shots of her exit turned out like he needed them to, he didn't think he could handle a retake of that. Luckily, his motions tended to go into autopilot for these things anyway.

The remainder of the limo exits went by without incident, even though he couldn't stop thinking about that first redhead the entire time. He knew he had to keep himself in check before he went inside to film the cocktail party, so he took a deep breath, grabbed a cup of coffee from the craft services table, and tried to clear his mind before heading in. Well, he tried.

While taking a sip of the crap they try to pass off as coffee here he noticed the book some idiot Producer had left on the catering table. All of the field producers kept a copy of the book close to them at all times. It included the pictures and bios of all the contestants, along with the dates planned and open spaces to write notes based on how the first night goes.

Casually sliding the book off the table and walking over to a relatively secluded corner, he couldn't help himself, he thumbed through the pages until he found hers.

Sansa Stark  
_That picture again. Definitely not photoshopped._  
Age: 23  
Height: 5'9"  
Hometown: Seattle, Washington  
Occupation: Singer  
Favorite food: lemon cakes  
Perfect date: candlelight dinner and a walk on the beach

_So she's a little song bird? Hmph. Of course she is._

He felt like a creep. Knowing all these things about this girl who hadn't even realized he existed. He knew a girl like her would never give him the time of day, but he still couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to know more about her.

He steeled himself, returned the book to the table he found it on, and headed towards the mansion to face what the rest of the evening held in store for him.


	2. Like a Sorority House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet the other contestants!
> 
> [Picset>](http://beautyinthebird.tumblr.com/post/128753410746/chapter-2-is-up-the-suitor-2965-words-by)

Trying to think back on what had just happened failed her. She was so nervous that the entire time from exiting the limo to walking into the mansion was a complete blur. As she tried to remember what she said to Joffrey, she just prayed she didn't make a horrible fool of herself. _he is so handsome, I can't believe I'm here and get the chance to date him!_

Ducking into the bathroom to make sure she still looked presentable, she was relieved to see that her makeup and hair had survived the wait in the limo.

Her dress was long and a forest green that complimented her fiery waves. The dress was backless and had sequin detailing that was heavy on the top and dispersed down the length of the dress. Since the dress came up to the top of her chest, she opted for silver dangle earrings and paired the look with black pumps. Overall, she was pleased with her appearance and she hoped Joffrey would think her pretty.

Being the first one there, she took a moment to admire the large mansion that she would be living in for the duration of her time on the show. The front doors opened up to a large foyer with a split staircase descending on either side. A marble topped table sat in the middle, with a large bouquet of fresh roses sitting on top of it.

The living room had obviously been set for the cameras, with three large couches setup in a U-shaped pattern. The large fireplace to the left of the couches and the doors to the backyard to the right. From what she could tell, there was also a large patio outside with more couches and tables scattered out there as well.

She didn't have much time to think about her surroundings or the man she was there to try to win his attentions though, as the other girls began to enter the mansion shortly after her.

Margaery (Margie), Daenerys (Dany), Missandei (Missa), and Ros were all in her limo, so they were the first to enter after her and she was relieved to see them after they had spent time bonding in the vehicle before filming started. Mostly about how they all desperately needed to use the restroom, but the producers wouldn't let them get out. They had sat in that limo for about 3 hours with nothing but champagne to alleviate their nerves. 

"I feel so much better now!" They all seemed to exclaim after finally having the chance to go. "How did your meeting with Joffrey go?" She asked each of them as they entered the grand living room.

Margie said she used a really cheesy pickup line, but that he seemed to like it and he gave her a smirk that made her melt. She had blonde hair that was teased and gelled back and a fierce black liner on her eyes. She was wearing a gold dress with a plunging neckline that was way more risque than anything Sansa would ever wear - though it seemed to fit her perfectly without looking trashy.

Dany said she'd let him ride her dragons any day, which he found amusing. _oh gosh, I was so lame. He probably doesn't even remember me!_ Dany had beautifully flowing white-blonde, almost silver locks and soft violet eyes. She was wearing a white form-fitting dress with attached cape on the back and paired with nude platform stilettos. Sansa doted on her that she looked absolutely regal, like she should be a queen or something. To which Danny graciously thanked her for and replied that Sansa herself looked fit to be a queen.

Missa, to Sansa's relief, seemed to be just as flustered as she was when she walked in. Though, she later admitted that she leaned in and told him in French how handsome she thought he was, making Sansa regret how lame her entrance was all over again. She wore a pale pink Grecian style gown with gold detailing that contrasted beautifully with her mocha skin.

Ros was the last one out of their limo and Sansa blushed fiercely when she admitted that she told Joffrey that he will soon be the hottest guy she has ever fucked. Sansa really hoped that Ros' vulgarity was an act, but it was too hard to tell. She had red hair as well, though Sansa could tell hers was from a bottle, and she wore a skin-tight and too short red bandage dress paired with sky-high black stilettos.

Just then the producer she had been in touch with before the show walked up to re-introduce herself and told them she'd like to grab each of them for a quick interview.

"I know most of you already, but I'm Shae. You ladies are going to be my girls, I'll be your primary Producer so if you need anything at all, please come find me. Sansa - if you'll come with me, I'd like to start the initial interviews." "Of course!" Sansa beamed at Shae, she felt a warmth from this girl and knew they'd get along great.

Once they entered the small room, she saw a single chair setup in front of a beautiful floral still life painting in an ornate gold frame and a table filled with roses to the side. Shae motioned for her to sit and the filming began.

"Throughout the process, we’ll have you sit one-on-one with us to get your thoughts and feelings about what is going on. Don’t be afraid to open up, it’s just me you’re talking to here. Let’s get started.” Sansa had seen the show before, and she knew that when they air the dates and rose ceremonies, they always cut in with comments from these interviews. She also felt that Shae was someone she could easily talk to, she didn’t feel nervous to answer any questions they had.

Shae began, “So what is your first impression of Joffrey?" 

"Oh he's so handsome and he was so sweet when he introduced himself! I'm just so excited to be here and I can't wait to see if there's a connection between us!" Sansa was all smiles and she could tell Shae was happy with her answer.

"And what is your impression of the other ladies so far?"

"Well, they're all so beautiful and have all been so nice. I just know we're all going to be great friends"

"That's nice. What about their dresses? Maybe Ros' in particular?" _hmm what an odd question_. 

"I think it looks great on her, she certainly has the body to pull it off. I don't think I could ever pull off anything like that though". Sansa was confused by this last question, but Shae seemed to smile after thinking on her answer for a second.

"See, that was easy! You did great, Sansa. That'll be all for right now, please go rejoin the party and send Margaery in next."

After each of the first five had their initial interviews, the ladies from the second limo began entering.

A little brunette waif of a girl named Jeyne was first. She had a simple beauty to her and wore a navy blue gown that seemed to pull off looking sexy without showing too much skin. Sansa was immediately drawn to her and knew they would get along wonderfully. She too seemed to regret her babbling in her introduction to Joffrey. Sansa was so excited to hear that she wasn't the only one - she jumped up and embraced the unsuspecting girl in a tight hug. After the shock of the sudden embrace wore off, Jeyne giggled and began excitedly telling Sansa about where she is from and what she does for a living.

A fiesty redhead _oh wow, there seems to be a lot of us this season_ named Ygritte walked in next, she wore a tan and black leopard print dress with red pumps, which Sansa thought was the most daring outfit of the evening, which Ygritte completely rocked.

The last three girls were Meera, in a grey gown, Myranda, in hot pink, and Gilley, in a little black dress. They were all beautiful and sweet, only adding to Sansa's anxiety about not being noticed by Joffrey.

As she sat on the couch with the girls making small talk, she could see all the film crew from outside begin to file in and set up cameras inside the mansion. In the middle of a fascinating tale about how Jeyne happened upon the dress she was wearing, she began to feel the weight of a stare coming from her right. She discreetly turned her head and peered out of the corner of her eye to find the source of the heaviness she felt. Standing in the corner, with his face hidden and body hunched over a large camera, she found the source.

The man standing off to her side had the most imposing presence. He had to be near 7 feet tall and heavily muscled all over. He wore a baseball cap on his head that seemed to stay tilted low as if he didn't want to be seen, but still she knew he was staring at her. He had long hair, tucked back under the cap and a beard covering the lower half of his face. He was dressed in a white T-shirt, with a plaid button up thrown over it, jeans and Chucks. Taking in the sight of this man only added to the nervous anxiety fluttering through her system tonight. _He’s the cameraman. He’s doing his job. That is all._

She found it difficult to return her attentions back to the conversation, which was now on the topic of Ygritte’s archery classes. _It’s the cameras. You’re not used to having cameras constantly watching you. Just focus on Joffrey. What in the world are you going to say to him? Don't make an even bigger fool of yourself!_

When a waiter offered her champagne, she gulped down the entire glass at once before reaching for another, determined to make the second one last a little longer. _control yourself, Joffrey hasn't even walked in here yet_


	3. A Family Affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What is your name?" She was still trying and damnit, he really wanted to talk to her. He also didn't want to lose his job though, so he held silent – just staring into those sapphire blue eyes of hers.
> 
> [Picset](http://beautyinthebird.tumblr.com/post/129622400476/a)

Third glass of champagne. He was keeping count and knew that a girl as tiny as she is would be tipsy at that point. He didn't know why he cared, but he didn't want to see them get her drunk.

After the waiter handed her a third glass, he grabbed the man by his lapel and warned him not to give her any more. The man was so terrified at the sight of the giant scarred man who had grabbed him, Sandor knew he wouldn't have to worry about the waiter giving her any more. _Just got to worry about the pesky producers now._ He knew their tactics: get the girls all liquored up and then have them start talking about one another. That was the formula for producing good drama on camera.

He could already see Varys working on the MILF of the season. Ginny, Gilly, or something or other? Poor girl looked like a deer in headlights and was hanging on Varys' every word. Then he watched as the spider pulled out a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses. _She doesn't even know what's about to hit her._

A moment later, Varys and Shae corralled all the women back to the couches to announce the entrance of the man they’d all be tearing their claws at each other for. When Joffrey sauntered in, there was a wave of “ohhs” and “ahhs” coming from the herd of women as they cooed at him. 

Joffrey was soaking up every second of the attention as well. He gave a sly smile to the ladies and began his introduction speech. The “thank you for being here”, “excited to get to know each of you”, “here to find my future wife” speech that Petyr no doubt fed him before he walked in. The last thing this guy was genuinely interested in was finding love and a wife. 

Once the introductions and champagne toast to their “journey” was complete, he saw the other natural redhead, Ygritte, leap off the couch to ask her Suitor for alone time to chat. _& so it begins._

  
///  


After a few hours with his nose to the lense, he decided it was time for a break. And more coffee. 

"Here's the craft service tent, you can get a bite to eat here but don't stay out here long. We'll need you back inside right away." Shae's voice carried out as he approached the tent. As she passed Sandor and walked away to head back inside, he saw that beautiful fire-kissed head of hair standing in her wake. She looked ravenous and Sandor could only imagine when the last time she was given anything to eat was. He silently walked up and stood beside her to fill his coffee as she loaded a plate with various fruits, veggies, cheeses, and crackers.

"This mansion is so beautiful! Don’t you just love being here? And it's such a beautiful night out tonight!" If she was afraid of his appearance, like most were, she hid it well. Or maybe it was only because he had his good side to her. She was all smiles as she was attempting to make small talk with him and he realized that this chirping little bird must not have known the rules. It was forbidden for crew members to fraternize with the cast.

He turned towards her and gave her a thorough once over, taking in her entire form up close. _I may not be allowed to talk to her, but there's no rule against looking._ He knew it made her feel embarrassed and uncomfortable as she began to curl into herself slightly, but it was the first time she'd noticed that he existed all night and it was thrilling to get any sort of rise out of her.

To her credit, she kept her eyes on him. Didn't look away once, even now that his scars were visible under the harsh lighting of the tent.

"What is your name?" She was still trying and damnit, he really wanted to talk to her. He also didn't want to lose his job though, so he held silent – just staring into those sapphire blue eyes of hers.

Her smiling face turned to an uncomfortable confusion and she began to plead to him "Why won't you speak..." 

"Sansa! My dear sweet Sansa, what are you doing out here?" Her plea was cut off by Petyr. It's a good thing he held silent, he'd be out of a job if Petyr had walked up to hear him talking to the girl.

Sansa unfurrowed her brow and turned to give Petyr a bright smile and a warm hug that seemed to speak that these two knew each other well already. _don't tell me she slept with the executive producer to get on the show._

"Uncle Petyr! I'm so glad to finally see you, where have you been all night?" Uncle? Uncle? Great. The boss is her uncle.

Sandor moved away from the food table but lingered in the tent, awkwardly listening in to their conversation as he sipped his coffee.

"Sansa, you look stunning. I'm sorry I haven't been able to say hello sooner, the first night is always a bit crazy for us. I haven't been able to stand still once. Isn't that right, Hound?"

"Huh? Ohh. Um. Yeah." Sandor grunted in reply, but was glad when Petyr seemed to dismiss his short reply and continue focusing his attention on the redheaded beauty.

"That's alright. Oh, Uncle Petyr! I made such a fool of myself coming out of the limo, I was so flustered I don't even remember what I said!" She was a vision stepping out of that limo, he knew even Joffrey was pleased, she had no reason to believe she made a fool of herself.

"Sansa, please try not to call me your uncle while you're here. We wouldn't want any of the other girls to think I'm playing favorites, now would we?"

It clicked in his mind just then. Her file already had "wifey" stamped on it when he saw it. That was the term they used for the girls they knew would go far and likely be in the finals. Usually these girls weren't picked out until after night 1 was over and the Suitor had spent time with all of the girls and then told the producers who his favorites were. But if she is Petyr's niece, then of course he would plan to make sure she goes far. _I bet he's going to manipulate Joffrey to make sure she wins._ If Sansa wins and gets engaged to Joffrey, that would put Petyr in the family with his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, the head of the network - Petyr's boss' boss.

_So this whole season is a ploy to get in good with the network. The man really is an evil genius_

"Sorry Unc…! I mean, sorry Petyr! You’re right, how silly of me." Her voice broke him out of his contemplation.

"Come now, let's get back inside before you're missed for too long. I have it on good authority that Joffrey has his eye on you."

"On really? How do you know, oh I'm so nervous. He's so handsome! What does he like? What should I talk about with him?" Sansa barraged Petyr with questions as they trailed off back into the mansion. 

After depositing Sansa back into the lion's den, Petyr quickly stomped back out and straight up to Sandor.

"CLEGANE! I know you heard that. If you tell anyone she's my niece, your ass is out of a job. You understand me?"

"Aye. I understand you."

He decided that he wouldn't reveal Petyr's familial relationship to a contestant to anyone, but he'd be damned if he was going to let Petyr's scheme work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts!! 
> 
> Been really busy in my personal life lately so haven't had a lot of time to write, but I'm hoping I get a bit more time coming up in the next few weeks. :)


End file.
